Carbon buildup removal device with protection function of vibration detection

ABSTRACT

A carbon buildup removal device with protection function of vibration detection is provided for electrically connecting to an engine from which carbon buildup is to be removed. The carbon buildup removal device includes a gas output unit and a vibration detection unit. The gas output unit outputs a gas that is supplied to the engine. The vibration detection unit includes a vibration detector that detects vibration of the automobile and a controller that is electrically connected to the vibration detector and the gas output unit. By using the vibration detector in combination with the controller, when the engine stops operating or is operating abnormally, power supplied to the gas output unit is cut off so as to prevent excessive accumulation of gas and thus back fire or excessive pressure to thereby improve stability and safety of carbon buildup removal operation of the engine.

(a) TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a carbon buildup removaldevice, and more particularly to a carbon buildup device with protectionfunction of vibration detection.

(b) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

For a regular automobile engine, due to various factors, such as fuelquality, poor air quality, aging of ignition system, and poor control,impurities and contaminants may get accumulated inside the engine afterlong term operations. This is the so-called carbon buildup. Excessivebuildup of carbon may lead to unsmooth supply of fuel, deterioration ofengine performance, knocking, shaking, and easy shut-off.

Referring to FIG. 1, a carbon buildup removal device disclosed in TaiwanUtility Model Publication No. M353996 is shown. The carbon buildupremoval device comprises a hydrogen/oxygen generation unit 11, amoisture generation unit 12, and a piping unit 13 connecting between thehydrogen/oxygen generation unit 11 and the moisture generation unit 12.The hydrogen/oxygen generation unit 11 comprises a power source 113,which supplies electrical power through a plurality of electrode plates112 to water 110 so as to generate hydrogen and oxygen throughelectrolysis of water. The hydrogen/oxygen so generated is introduced,together with moisture, through the piping unit 13 into an automobileengine 14 in order to effect accelerated softening of carbon buildupinside the automobile engine 14. As such, it does not need to wait along time for softening and thus the efficiency of carbon buildupremoval can be enhanced.

However, when the known carbon buildup removal device is installed on anengine 14 that is of poor maintenance and thus is easy to shut off orruns abnormally after being started up, there is an operation safetyconcern for the carbon buildup removal process. When the engine 14 runsabnormally or gets off, the hydrogen/oxygen generation unit 11 is stillin operation and continuously supplies hydrogen and oxygen to the engine14. The hydrogen and oxygen so supplied cannot be properly consumed andget accumulated in the engine 14 and the piping unit 13. When the engine14 is started up again, back fire may easily occur, jeopardizing theoperation and safety of the carbon buildup removal device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the object of the present invention is to provide a carbon buildupremoval device with protection function of vibration detection thatensures stability and enhanced safety of operation.

The present invention provides a carbon buildup removal device withprotection function of vibration detection that is externally mounted toan engine from which carbon buildup is to be removed. The carbon buildupremoval device comprises a gas output unit and a vibration detectionunit that controls the gas output unit.

The gas output unit generates a gas that is supplied to the engine forcarbon buildup removal operation.

The vibration detection unit comprises a vibration detector fordetecting vibration of the vehicle and a controller that is electricallyconnected to the vibration detector and the gas output unit. Thevibration detector generates a vibration signal corresponding to thevibration of the engine and the controller receives the vibration signaland in response, controls power supply to the gas output unit.

The efficacy of the present invention is that the vibration detector isused to detect the vibration of the engine in order to determine if theengine is operating normally. The controller controls the gas outputunit in such a way that the gas output unit stops supplying gas when theengine stops operating or is operating abnormally so as to avoidexcessive accumulation of gas thereby preventing back fire or excessivepressure and thus enhancing the stability and safety of carbon buildupremoval operations.

The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introductionto the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects ofthe present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detaileddescription of the invention and the claims should be read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specificationand drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similarparts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will becomemanifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to thedetailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which apreferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of thepresent invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a carbon buildup removal devicedisclosed in Taiwan Utility Model Publication No. M353996.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a carbon buildup removal devicewith protection function of vibration detection according to a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a vibration detector of a vibrationdetection unit according to the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are notintended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of theinvention in any way. Rather, the following description provides aconvenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of theinvention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made inthe function and arrangement of the elements described without departingfrom the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to FIG. 2, the present invention provides a carbon buildupremoval device with protection function of vibration detection 2 ofwhich a preferred embodiment is provided for externally connecting to anengine 202 of an automobile 200. The automobile 200 comprises an enginebay 201 in which the engine 202 is received and retained.

The carbon buildup removal device 2 comprises a gas output unit 3 thatsupplies a gas to the engine 202 and a vibration detection unit 4 thatcontrols the gas output unit 3.

The gas output unit 3 supplies the gas that is used to carry out anoperation of removing carbon buildup of the engine 202. In the instantembodiment, the gas output unit 3 comprises an electrolysis bath 31containing an electrolyte solution 300, a hydrogen/oxygen pipe 32connecting between the electrolysis bath 31 and the engine 202, aplurality of electrode plates 33 that is arranged in the electrolysisbath 31 in a spaced manner and is immersed in the electrolyte solution300, a power supply device 34 that is electrically connected to theelectrode plates 33 to supply electrical power to the electrode plates33, and a power supply switch 35 that controls power supply from thepower supply device 34.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the vibration detection unit 4 comprises avibration detector 41 that detects vibration of the engine 202 and acontroller 42 electrically connected to the vibration detector 41 andthe power supply switch 35.

In the instant preferred embodiment, the controller 42 comprises acontrol chip and the vibration detector 41 is of the form of a clamp foreasily clamping and attaching to the engine 202 of the automobile 200 inorder to detect the vibration of the engine 202 and generates avibration signal corresponding to the detected vibration of the engine202. It is apparent that in a practical application, the vibrationdetector 41 may alternatively be mounted to the engine bay 201 of theautomobile 200 or other site, provided that the same effect of detectingthe vibration of the engine 202 can be achieved, and the mounting is notlimited to what disclosed herein.

After the engine 202 is started, the cycles of combustion, explosion andthe likes is caused through introduction of external air and vibrationis generated. Under this condition, the electrode plates 33 apply theelectrical power from the power supply device 34 to effect electrolysisof the electrolyte solution 300 so as to generate hydrogen and oxygenthat are conducted through the hydrogen/oxygen pipe 32 into the engine202 to assist combustion of fuel thereby making the fuel combusted morecompletely. The pressure with which the hydrogen/oxygen gas isintroduced also functions to scrape off the carbon buildup inside theengine 202. Meanwhile, the vibration detector 41 generates a vibrationsignal corresponding to the vibration of the engine 202. When receivingthe vibration signal, the controller 42 controls the power supply switch35 to maintain a closed-loop position, where the power supply device 34continuously supplies electrical power to maintain the electrolysisreaction of the electrolyte solution 300 for generation of hydrogen andoxygen.

When the engine 202 is operating abnormally or is simply shut off, thevibration detector 41 generates a different vibration signal or even novibration signal at all. Upon receiving such a different vibrationsignal or receiving no vibration signal, the controller 42 opens thepower supply switch 35 to cut off power supplied from the power supplydevice 34 to the electrode plates 33 thereby shutting down theelectrolysis of the electrolyte solution 300 and stopping generatinghydrogen and oxygen, and also preventing excessive accumulation ofhydrogen and oxygen in the engine 202 and the hydrogen/oxygen pipe 32that causes back fire or excessive pressure, so as to enhance thestability and safety of carbon buildup removal operation.

In summary, the present invention provides a carbon buildup removaldevice with protection function of vibration detection 2, which uses avibration detector 41 to detect the vibration induced by an engine 202in order to determine if the engine 202 is operating normally. Acontroller 42 is also provided to control a power supply switch 35 tocut off power supply from a power supply device 34, when the engine 202stops operating or is operating abnormally, in order to cut off thesupply of gas thereby eliminating the problems of excessive accumulationof gas and thus preventing the occurrence of back fire or excessivepressure so as to enhance the stability and safety of carbon buildupremoval operation.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together may also find a useful application in other types ofmethods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown anddescribed and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intendedto be limited to the details above, since it will be understood thatvarious omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the formsand details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be madeby those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spiritof the present invention.

I claim:
 1. A carbon buildup removal device with protection function ofvibration detection, which is adapted to externally connect to an enginefrom which carbon buildup is to be removed, the carbon buildup removaldevice comprising: a gas output unit, which outputs a gas for carryingout carbon removal from the engine; and a vibration detection unit,which comprises a vibration detector that detects vibration of theengine and a controller that is electrically connected to the vibrationdetector and the gas output unit, the vibration detector generating avibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the engine, thecontroller receiving the vibration signal and in response, controllingpower supply to the gas output unit.
 2. The carbon buildup removaldevice with protection function of vibration detection according toclaim 1, wherein the gas output from the gas output unit is selectedfrom a group consisting of hydrogen, oxygen, and a mixture of hydrogenand oxygen.
 3. The carbon buildup removal device with protectionfunction of vibration detection according to claim 1, wherein the gasoutput unit carries out an electrolysis reaction of a liquid to outputthe gas.
 4. The carbon buildup removal device with protection functionof vibration detection according to claim 3, wherein the gas output unitcomprises an electrolysis bath containing an electrolyte solution and incommunication with the engine, a plurality of electrode plates arrangedin the electrolysis bath in a spaced manner and immersed in theelectrolyte solution, a power supply device electrically connected tothe electrode plates to supply electrical power to the electrode plates,and a power supply switch controlling power supply from the power supplydevice, the electrode plates applying the electrical power from thepower supply device to carry out electrolysis of the electrolytesolution to output hydrogen and oxygen, the controller of the vibrationdetection unit receiving the vibration signal to selectively open andclose the power supply switch of the gas output unit in order to controlthe supply of power.